Forty-two lawyers 40 and under were chosen from a pool of 230 candidates by a panel of 20 esteemed judges. Profiles of all Rising Stars will appear in a New York Law Journal special section on Monday, June 9 and they will be honored at an event on Monday June 16 at Manhattan Penthouse.

Varghese is the principal attorney at Varghese & Associates, P.C., which he founded in 2006. The firm defends individuals and companies in criminal proceedings, white-collar matters, internal corporate investigations, and asset-forfeiture cases. In November 2013, the NACDL (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) called Varghese a “courageous attorney” for his stalwart defense of clients, the United States and New York State Constitutions, and the criminal defense bar at large. He is quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other major media for his representation of noteworthy clients. In 2000, Varghese began his career as a prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. There, the District Attorney honored his work by naming him a Senior Assistant District Attorney and appointing him to run a specialized unit, the Assault on Police Officers Program. Varghese is active at BLS, having judged the Prince Competition for 14 consecutive years since he graduated, as well as speaking in January at the Business Boot Camp Program, and in April on “An Introduction to the Practice of White-Collar Crime Law.”

Fischer, a partner at Morvillo, is a litigator whose practice focuses on representing corporate executives and corporations in high stakes business litigation, criminal actions, and regulatory investigations. He has significant experience litigating almost every aspect of civil and criminal cases in both federal and state court and also has extensive experience handling all phases of arbitrations. Fischer has represented both individuals and corporations under investigation by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the District Attorney's Office, the Attorney General's Office, and FINRA. He also has represented companies conducting internal investigations and individuals in connection with those investigations.

“These lawyers have established a record of accomplishments and demonstrated that they are top contributors to the practice of law and their communities,” according to the Law Journal.